Device for automatically finishing and grouping packaging containers

ABSTRACT

A device for automatically folding and fastening the four ears of prismatic containers, as they issue from a forming machine, upon two opposite lateral faces thereof, and for grouping together the so finished containers, including a stationary table having a container receiving and a container discharging end; a movable plate reciprocable relatively to the table between feed strokes directed from the receiving towards the discharging end and oppositely directed return strokes; preparatory units rigid with the stationary table to prepare the opposite lateral surfaces for the fastening of the ears thereupon; folding and fastening units rigid with the table to fold and fasten the ears upon the faces; rows of pawl means on the movable plate to transfer in succession during the feed stroke the containers on the stationary table stepwise towards the preparatory units, thence to the folding and fastening units and therefrom to the discharge end of said table and to release them at the beginning of each return stroke; and gripping means on said movable plate, located correspondingly to the receiving end of said table, to grip the four ears of each incoming container and transfer it during said feed stokes within reach of the first pawls of said rows and release them before the beginning of said return strokes.

United States Patent 1 Dominici DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY FINISHING AND GROUPING PACKAGING CONTAINERS [75] Inventor: Antonio Dominici, Perugia, Italy [73] Assignee: Quepor S.A., Feibourg, Switzerland [22] Filed: June 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 371,535

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 10/1973 Carlstrom ct a1. 53/230 X Primary E.\'aminer-Travis S. McGehee Attorney, Agent, or FirmBrowdy and Neimark [57] ABSTRACT A device for automatically folding and fastening the [451 Aug. 27, 1974 four ears of prismatic containers, as they issue from a forming machine, upon two opposite lateral faces thereof, and for grouping together the so finished containers, including a stationary table having a container receiving and a container discharging end; a movable plate reciprocable relatively to the table between feed strokes directed from the receiving towards the discharging end and oppositely directed return strokes; preparatory units rigid with the stationary table to prepare the opposite lateral surfacesfor the fastening of the ears thereupon; folding and fastening units rigid with the table to fold and fasten the ears upon the faces; rows of pawl means on the movable plate to transfer in succession during the feed stroke the containers on the stationary table stepwise towards the preparatory units, thence to the folding and fastening units and therefrom to the discharge end of said table and to release them at the beginning of each return stroke; and gripping means on said movable plate, located correspondingly to the receiving end of said table, to grip the four ears of each incoming container and transfer it during said feed stokes within reach of the first pawls of said rows and release them before the beginning of said return strokes.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENTEB 19211914 f. L I

Pmmmwsz 3.831.343

The invention refers to a device which automatically finishes and groups together already filled and sealed prismatic containers, and which is especially adapted for handling in the above mentioned manner those types of packaging containers which are produced by longitudinally welding together a web of packaging ma terial, filling the tubes so produced with a liquid article, applying transversal seals to said filled tube at desired intervals and cutting it correspondingly to the centerline of said transversal seals to produce discrete bag or satchet shaped containers, which are thereafter shaped into parallelepipedal containers in a forming machine. From this latter operation the containers emerge as rectangular prisms with four triangular ears or flaps, which project from two opposite sides of the prism.

It is the object of the present device to receive said containers and to finish them into perfect prisms by folding said ears back and fasten them in an accurate symmetry to said two sides of the prisms, and to discharge them thereafter groupwise for further handling.

The device of the invention comprises a stationary table rigidly connected with a stationary frame, which table has a container receiving and a container discharging end; a movable plate which is rigid with a movable frame, said plate being reciprocable relatively to said table between feed strokes directed from said receiving end towards said discharging end and oppositely directed return strokes; preparatory units which are rigid with said stationary table to prepare said opposite lateral sides of the containers for the fastening of said ears thereupon; folding and fastening units rigid with a table to fold and fasten said ears upon said sides; rolls of pawl means on said movable plate to transfer in succession during said feed stroke staid containers stepwise on said stationary table towards said preparatory units, thence to said folding and fastening unit and therefrom to the discharge end of said table and to release them at the beginning of each return stroke; and gripping means on said movable plate, located correspondingly to the receiving end of said table to grip the four ears of each incoming container and transfer it during said feed stroke within reach of the first pawls of said rows and release them before the beginning of said return strokes.

These and other advantages and features of the in vention will clearly result from the following detailed description of one of its embodiments, made with reference to the attached drawings for a purely illustrative and in no way limiting purpose.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic lateral elevational view of the embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a top view thereof, but with the discharge end of the device in a different position;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line Ill-III of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 4, but showing the relating component parts in a different operating position;

FIG. 6 is a schematic right hand view of some of the component parts of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a prospective view of a single packaging container with its triangular ears in a projecting position; and

FIG. 8 is a prospective view of the finished packaging container with its triangular ears folded against the side and fastened to them.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, the embodiment here illustrated presents a stationary frame and a movable frame which is reciprocable relatively to it between a feed stroke in the direction of arrow F and a return stroke directed oppositely to said arrow. The stationary frame includes a horizontal base plate 1 supporting, through vertical brackets 2 and 3, a horizontal table 4. The movable frame is formed by a plate 5 positioned, beneath table 4, by two lugs 6 and 7 depending from each of its ends, two vertical brackets 8 extending upward from each side of the left end (as seen in FIG. 1) of plate 5, the upper and the lower end of each bracket 8 being provided with a horizontal, inwardly projecting tongue 9; vertical supports 10, one on each side of the right end of plate 5, and an upper plate 11 which is pivoted at 12 to said supports 10.

Two guide bars 17 and 18 and a rack 16 extend between the lugs 6 and 7 and are slidable within bores provided in a support block fastened to base 1. The reciprocating motion is imparted to the movable frame by a drive shaft 13 whose rotation is converted by a cam disc 14 keyed to it into an oscillating motion of a lever which transmits this motion in turn to a sector gear 15 meshing with said rack 16.

Along table 4 run two parallel longitudinal slots 22. Pairs of pawls are pivoted to plate 5 by pins 21 and are biased by (not shown) springs into a vertical position, in which they protrude through said slots over the level of plate 5. Similar pairs of pawls 23 are pivoted to the upper plate 11, to whose free end is fastened an extension piece 24. As better shown in FIG. 3, extension piece 24 rests with two setscrews 25 on two arms 26, each arm being pivoted in 27 to the top of the brackets 8 and having one end linked at 28 to the piston rod of a pneumatic cylinder 29. The latter is similarly linked to one end of a lower arm 30, which is pivoted on the lower end of said brackets 8. The free end of each arm 26 and 30 is formed into a jaw 31.

At both sides of plate 4 two vertical plates 33 are fastened to an upper extension 3' of the bracket 3. Plates 33 present a recess delimited by the outline 33. Two additional lateral plates 32, of an outline complementary to 33 are fastened to both sides of plate 4, flush with plates 33 to enter said recess during the feed stroke of the movable frame.

The station for folding the ears and fastening them to the opposite sides of the container, better shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, is formed by two identical stationary assemblies, placed on either side of plate 5. Each assembly comprises a preparatory unit generally indicated at 34, for preheating or for applying an adhesive to that face of the ears 69 of container 68 which is to adhere to the container sides, once the ears are folded upon the latter, and a unit 35 for folding and fastening said ears 69.

Each preparatory unit 34 is formed by a stationary head 36, which applies a heating medium (e.g., warm air) or an adhesive to said ear surface, and a body 37 which delivers said heating or adhesive medium to said head 36. Head 36 carries a vertical plate 38 with a slightly tapered and outward bent end, which serves to safely guide said containers during the forward strokes between said heads.

Each folding and fastening unit comprises a pneumatic cylinder 39, which, through any suitable known link system, such as that which is clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, is capable of shifting a pair of folding and sealing platelets from the open position shown in FIG. 4 to the operative closed position shown in FIG. 5, wherein said platelets converge towards each other to fold thereby the ears 69 against the opposite sides of the container 68.

The delivery end section of the device, as shown at the right end portion of FIG. 1, the lower end portion of FIG. 2 and by FIG. 6, is formed by a pivoting table 41, which is fulcrumed on the stationary frame by a horizontal pivot 42, to oscillate from a horizontal position shown in FIG. 2 and indicated by a continuous line in FIG. 6, where it is level with table 4, to an inclined position represented at 41 by a dotted line in FIG. 6 and by a continuous line 41' in FIG. 1. This oscillating or pivoting table 41 is actuated by a connecting rod 43 (FIGS. 1 and 6) whose one end 44 is linked to a lever fastened to table 41 and whose other end 45 is linked by a pivot 45 to a two-armed lever 46 fulcrumed at 47 to the stationary frame of the device. By a roller 48 on its opposite end, said lever engages a disc cam 50 which is freely rotatable on a shaft 51 and integral with a disc 52. The latter carries on its periphery a rigid nose 53 and a pawl 54 which is fulcrumed to disc 52. A spring interposed between nose 53 and one end of pawl 54 biases the latter into a position (FIG. 1), wherein it is engaged in a recess of a disc 56 which is rigid with shaft 51; the latter is rigidly connected with a pulley 57, which is constantly driven by the main shaft 13 through a suitable transmission 58. A lever 59, pivoted at 60 to the stationary frame, is switched by an electromagnet or a pneumatic cylinder 61 from a position indicated full lines, in which it remains outside the circular path of the pawl 54, into the dotted line position 59 in which it will strike the spring-biased end of pawl 54, thereby disengaging its other end from the notch in disc 51.

A further pneumatic cylinder 63 is fulcrumed at 62 to the stationary frame. The free end of its piston rod is linked to one end of a lever 64, whose other end is fulcrumed the stationary frame at 66 and is rigid with a pair of brackets 65. Thus, the expansion stroke of cylinder 63 will rotate the brackets 65 from their vertical position 65 shown in dotted lines to the horizontal position shown in full line (FIGS. 1 and 2), where they are received within slots 67 provided in table 41.

The operation of the device is the following:

A first container, which, as initially stated, issues from the forming machine as a rectangular prism 68, with four projecting cars 69 (FIG. 7), is transferred in the direction of arrow F upon the stationary table 4, with its four projecting ears 69 registering with the tongues 9 of brackets 8. At this point, the retraction stroke of cylinders 29 will swing the jaws 31 to their clamping position, in which the container ears 69 are firmly held between the jaws and the tongues. As soon as this movement is completed, the sector gear 15 will displace the movable frame in the direction of arrow F and therewith the first container to the position indicated at 68a, while a second container will be shifted, by any known and therefore not represented means,

from the forming machine to the place on table 4 left vacant by the first container.

When the first container reaches the position 68a, both the upper pawls 23 and the lower pawls 20 will engage behind its transversal seal 70, while the expansion stroke of cylinders 29 will restore the arms 26 to their open position, thereby releasing the ears 69 of the first container and lifting the upper plate 1 1. Thereupon the movable frame is returned by the sector gear 15 to its initial position and the above described operation is repeated on the second container. When the latter is being shifted towards the position 68a by the movable frame, the first container will be pushed by the combined action of the second container and the pawls 20 and 23 to a position 68b, between the heads 36 of the preparatory units 34.

A successive return stroke of the movable frame will lift with plate 11 also the pawls 23 from the seams 70 and simultaneously retract the pawls 20 from it, so that this backward movement of the movable frame will not displace the containers from their positions 68a and 6812.

Once the first container has reached the position 68b, through ducts in heads 36 an adhesive or if also the external face of the container material is coated with a heat sealable plastic heat is applied to that face of the ears 69, which is to be folded and fastened to the side of the container.

In the successive forward stroke of the movable frame, the second container is transferred from posi tion 68a to position 68b, while the first, again by the combined action of the second container and the second pairs of pawls 20 and 23, is introduced between plates 32 until it reaches the position 680, in register with the folding and fastening units 35. Immediately before the successive return stroke of the movable frame, the cylinders 39 move the units 35 from their open po sition, in which they are represented in FIGS. 2 and 4, to the closed position, shown in FIG. 5, and thus the platelets 40 fold the ears 69 upon the opposite side of the containers 68 and press it against them, so that the container will now assume the configuration shown in FIG. 8.

During the successive feed stroke, in which the first container passes from position 680 to position 68d, the ears will remain pressed against the sides of the container by the two plates 32, which accompany it during this stroke. In this manner, the ears remain pressed against these flanks till the adhesive has set or, alternately, the seal has cooled. Once the position 68 is reached, this function is taken over by the stationary plates 33.

The following feed strokes will transfer the containers in succession through the above described steps and from the stationary table 4 to the pivoting table 41, until the latter is filled with a row of containers and the first container is pushed by the successive ones into contact with a feeler 71 (FIG. 2) at the end of table 41. Prior to this contact, lever 59 is kept in position 59', where it disengages the pawl 54 from the recessed disc 56 and thus keeps the clutch formed by the components 50, 52, 54 and 51 uncoupled. Therefore cam 50 stands still.

When the feeler 71 is pushed back by the first container, it actuates a microswitch 72 and thereby determines, through the control element-61, the retraction of lever 59 out of the path of the biased end of pawl 54.

will engage disc 56 and thereby couple cam 50 to shaft 51 and determine, through lever 49 and connecting rod 43, the inclination of table 41 to the position 41 The group of containers resting on this table will thus be discharged either into a tray 73 (FIGS. 1 and 6) or upon a conveyor belt for further handling.

(In FIG. 1, the position of lever 46 and cam 50 would actually correspond to a horizontal position of table 41. However, this figure shows it inclined to better illustrate its discharge function.)

While plate 41 is in its inclined position, the control element 61 restores lever 59 to position 59 and thus pushes it into the path of pawl 54. Thereby it uncouples the clutch and brings the cam 50 to a stop. This operation is timed in such a manner that when cam 50 stops, the lever 46 is engaging the inoperative portion of the cam periphery, in which the lever restores table 41 to its horizontal position.

Owing to the quick rhythm at which the containers are transferred from table 4 to table 41, the latter would have to oscillate at very high speeds between its horizontal position, in which it receives the containers, and its inclined, container discharging position. To eliminate the necessity for such quick oscillations, the invention provides temporary container supports 65 controlled by the already mentioned pneumatic cylinder 63 and the lever 64 linked to its piston rod. During the downward rotation of table 41, said temporary supports are swung vertically downward by said cylinder, because they must not interfere with the discharge operation of plate 41. In the terminal stretch of its downward rotation, table 41 actuates a microswitch which causes the expansion stroke of cylinder 63 till the temporary supports 65 reach a horizontal position, to temporarily receive and sustain one or more containers coming from table 4 (as indicated at 68s in FIGS. 1 and 6), while table 41 is still inclined. As soon as the latter resumes its horizontal position, another microswitch causes cylinder 63 to retract and thus to lower the temporary supports65. Qbviously both the table and the temporary supports may be made of any desired length, to receive and group together any number Consequently pawl 54 of containers. According to a modified embodiment,

table 41 may also be'actuated, in lieu of using the above described cam drive, by a pneumatic cylinder 75, as shown in dotted outlines in FIG. 1, which cylinder rocks the lever 46 at a suitable rhythm by any adequate known, and therefore shown, means.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for automatically folding and fastening the four ears of prismatic containers, as they issue from a forming machine, upon two opposite lateral faces thereof, and for grouping together the so finished containers, which device comprises a stationary table having a container receiving and a container discharging end; a movable plate reciprocable relatively to said table between feed strokes directed from said receiving towards said discharging end and oppositely directed return strokes; preparatory units rigid with said stationary table to prepare said opposite lateral surfaces for the fastening of said ears thereupon; folding and fastening units rigid with said table to fold and fasten said ears upon said faces; rows of pawl means on said movable plate to transfer in succession during said feed stroke said containers on said stationary table stepwise towards said preparatory units, thence to said folding and fastening units and therefrom to the discharge end of said table and to release them at the beginning of each return stroke; and gripping means on said movable plate, located correspondingly to the receiving end of said table, to grip the four ears of each incoming container and transfer it during said feed strokes within reach of the first pawls of said rows and release them before the beginning of said return strokes.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising: a pivoting table oscillating from a horizontal position, wherein it lies level with said stationary table, to receive and group together the containers issuing from said stationary table, discharges said grouped containers for further handling; said pivoting table having slots extending from its side adjacent to said stationary table; temporary supports hinged to said discharge end of said stationary table; actuating means to lift said temporary support means through said slots into a horizontal position when said pivoting table swings into its inclined position and to lower said temporary support means into a vertical position when said pivoted table reverts to a horizontal position.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the folding and fastening units comprise: a pneumatic cylinder; two arms actuated by said cylinder to swing towards each other to a closed position and away from each other to an open position; folding and sealing platelets at the end of each arm, to abut against said container ears and press them against the lateral faces of said containers when said arms are swung into their closed position.

. faces during the successive feed strokes of the device.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping means comprises: a bracket at either side of said movable plate; a horizontal inward projecting tongue at both ends of each bracket; two arms on each bracket pivoted thereto intermediate their ends, one end of each arm cooperating with the tongue adjacent to it to form ear gripping means, the other end being linked to a common pneumatic cylinder to be actuated by it from an ear gripping position during said feed stroke to an ear releasing position during said return stroke.

6. A device according to claim 5, further comprising: a support mounted on said reciprocable plate; an upper plate having one end hinged to said support and its other end resting on the upper arm of said brackets to be lifted by said arms when these are actuated into an ear releasing position; rows' of pawls on said upper plate engaging said containers during the feed stroke of said reciprocable plate and being lifted from said containers during its return stroke. I

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the drive to impart to said movable plate a reciprocating motion comprises a rack rigid with said plate, a sector gear meshing with said rack; a cam coacting with said sector gear to impart to it, by its rotation, a rocking motion, thereby causing said reciprocation of the movable plate.

8. A device according to claim 2, wherein the mechanism to actuate said pivoting table comprises: a revolving shaft; a cam freely mounted on said shaft; clutch to an inclined position, wherein it means coupling said cam to said shaft to entrain it in rotation therewith; a lever linked to said pivoting table and engaged by said cam to lower said table to said inclined position when said cam is coupled to said shaft and to return said table to said horizontal position when said cam is uncoupled; and means responsive to the completion of a group of containers on said table to cause said clutch to couple said cam to said shaft.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein said clutch means comprise a recessed disc keyed to said shaft, a

pawl to engage said recessed disc. 

1. A device for automatically folding and fastening the four ears of prismatic containers, as they issue from a forming machine, upon two opposite lateral faces thereof, and for grouping together the so finished containers, which device comprises a stationary table having a container receiving and a container discharging end; a movable plate reciprocable relatively to said table between feed strokes directed from said receiving towards said discharging end and oppositely directed return strokes; preparatory units rigid with said stationary table to prepare said opposite lateral surfaces for the fastening of said ears thereupon; folding and fastening units rigid with said table to fold and fasten said ears upon said faces; rows of pawl means on said movable plate to transfer in succession during said feed stroke said containers on said stationary table stepwise towards said preparatory units, thence to said folding and fastening units and therefrom to the discharge end of said table and to release them at the beginning of each return stroke; and gripping means on said movable plate, located correspondingly to the receiving end of said table, to grip the four ears of each incoming container and transfer it during said feed strokes within reach of the first pawls of said rows and release them before the beginning of said return strokes.
 2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising: a pivoting table oscillating from a horizontal position, wherein it lies level with said stationary table, to receive and group together the containers issuing from said stationary table, to an inclined position, wherein it discharges said grouped containers for further handling; said pivoting table having slots extending from its side adjacent to said stationary table; temporary supports hinged to said discharge end of said stationary table; actuating means to lift said temporary support means through said sLots into a horizontal position when said pivoting table swings into its inclined position and to lower said temporary support means into a vertical position when said pivoted table reverts to a horizontal position.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the folding and fastening units comprise: a pneumatic cylinder; two arms actuated by said cylinder to swing towards each other to a closed position and away from each other to an open position; folding and sealing platelets at the end of each arm, to abut against said container ears and press them against the lateral faces of said containers when said arms are swung into their closed position.
 4. A device according to claim 3, further comprising vertical lateral plates rigid with said reciprocable plate and vertical lateral plates rigid with said stationary table to keep said ears pressed against said container faces during the successive feed strokes of the device.
 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the gripping means comprises: a bracket at either side of said movable plate; a horizontal inward projecting tongue at both ends of each bracket; two arms on each bracket pivoted thereto intermediate their ends, one end of each arm cooperating with the tongue adjacent to it to form ear gripping means, the other end being linked to a common pneumatic cylinder to be actuated by it from an ear gripping position during said feed stroke to an ear releasing position during said return stroke.
 6. A device according to claim 5, further comprising: a support mounted on said reciprocable plate; an upper plate having one end hinged to said support and its other end resting on the upper arm of said brackets to be lifted by said arms when these are actuated into an ear releasing position; rows of pawls on said upper plate engaging said containers during the feed stroke of said reciprocable plate and being lifted from said containers during its return stroke.
 7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the drive to impart to said movable plate a reciprocating motion comprises a rack rigid with said plate, a sector gear meshing with said rack; a cam coacting with said sector gear to impart to it, by its rotation, a rocking motion, thereby causing said reciprocation of the movable plate.
 8. A device according to claim 2, wherein the mechanism to actuate said pivoting table comprises: a revolving shaft; a cam freely mounted on said shaft; clutch means coupling said cam to said shaft to entrain it in rotation therewith; a lever linked to said pivoting table and engaged by said cam to lower said table to said inclined position when said cam is coupled to said shaft and to return said table to said horizontal position when said cam is uncoupled; and means responsive to the completion of a group of containers on said table to cause said clutch to couple said cam to said shaft.
 9. A device according to claim 8, wherein said clutch means comprise a recessed disc keyed to said shaft, a second disc integral with said cam and freely rotatable with it, pawl means pivoted on said second disc and biased to engage said recessed disc.
 10. A device according to claim 8, wherein the means responsive to the completion of a group of containers on said pivoting table are feeler means on the free end of said pivoting table and a control element actuated by said feeler when contacted by a container to cause said pawl to engage said recessed disc. 